UK Police fire Nigerian-British officer for reportedly biting colleague at a party
The Metropolitan Police Service in the United Kingdom has dismissed a Nigerian-British officer, Shola Balogun, from Bromley Police Station for allegedly biting a colleague during a birthday party in Bexleyheath, Kent.
The disciplinary hearing, held from October 21-23, 2024, was chaired by senior officer Christopher McKay, with IPM Amanda Harvey and Assessor-Detective Superintendent Kirsty Mead on the panel.
The incident occurred on April 22, 2022, during a 40th birthday celebration attended by around 70 people at Goals Sports Bar.
According to the hearing document, Balogun and the victim, both based at Bromley Police Station, had previously engaged in light-hearted horseplay but maintained a friendly working relationship.
During the party, however, an altercation reportedly arose when Balogun allegedly grabbed the victim’s spectacles and later bit him on the face following a heated exchange.
While Balogun denied biting the victim and claimed the removal of the glasses was accidental, medical reports confirmed the victim had sustained a bite wound.
The panel ruled that Balogun’s actions violated police standards, particularly Discreditable Conduct, as outlined by the College of Policing Code of Ethics, which emphasizes maintaining public confidence.
Despite positive character references from colleagues, including his inspector, the panel determined that Balogun’s previous disciplinary history and the seriousness of the incident warranted dismissal without notice.
The panel cited that “the only appropriate and proportionate outcome in this case is Dismissal Without Notice.”
“The Panel bears in mind the words of Lord Justice Maurice Kay in the well-known case of Salter v Chief Constable of Dorset [2012] EWCA Civ 1047 when he said, ”As to personal mitigation, just as an unexpectedly errant solicitor can usually refer to an unblemished past and the esteem of his colleagues, so will a police officer often be able so to do.
“However, because of the importance of public confidence, the potential of such mitigation is necessarily limited.
“In the present case, PC Balogun does not have an unblemished past and the previous misconduct proved against him is serious.
“In the present case, he committed a deliberate assault on a colleague without any explanation or justification.
“He humiliated PC Final Written Warning is not appropriate in this case. The only appropriate and proportionate outcome in this case is Dismissal Without Notice,” the document added.
